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Microplastics in feces and pellets from yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) in the Atlantic Islands National Park of Galicia (NW Spain)
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Researchers found microplastics in feces and pellets from yellow-legged gulls nesting in the Atlantic Islands National Park of Galicia, Spain, detecting particles of five shapes with polypropylene as the dominant polymer. The study provides baseline microplastic contamination data for this ecologically important seabird in a protected coastal area.
The Atlantic Islands National Park (AINP) in Galicia (NW of Spain) are host to large colonies of yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis). Here, we aimed to provide baseline data for the presence of microplastics (MP) in feces and pellets regurgitated of these resident yellow-legged gulls within this unique ecosystem. MP particles found in the samples were of five shapes (fiber, fragment, foam, film and rubber) and the predominant color was blue. The main plastic polymers identified by Raman spectroscopy were polypropylene and cellulose. The average size of the MP particles in the regurgitations was larger than that in the feces. Considering the population of Larus michahellis in the AINP, our estimates suggested an annual deposition of approximately 32.2 million of MP particles from feces and regurgitated pellets in the area.
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Plastic waste in Yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis atlantis) nests in Biosphere Reserves of the Canary Islands (Spain)
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Researchers examined plastic waste found in the nests of Yellow-legged gulls at Biosphere Reserves in the Canary Islands, Spain, finding macro, meso, and microplastic particles incorporated into nesting material. When birds use plastic debris to build nests, they introduce contamination to breeding sites and create pathways for young birds to be exposed to plastics from hatching.
First evidence of microplastics and their characterization in yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis michahellis, Naumann, 1840) pellets collected from the Sfax salina, southeastern Tunisia
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Researchers found microplastics in regurgitated pellets of yellow-legged gulls from a Tunisian saltwater lagoon, with 309 particles identified including 63.8 percent fibers and 36.2 percent fragments. Micro-FTIR analysis revealed that artificial cellulose dominated fiber composition, while ethylene vinyl acetate was among the plastic types detected.
Plastic pollution exposure in seabirds : from macroplastics to microplastics
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A French PhD thesis quantified plastic pollution exposure in yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) across the western Mediterranean, finding microplastics (10 µm–1 mm) in nearly all examined birds, with an average of ~39 mg of plastic per bird including ~8.5 mg of small microplastics. The work developed a new tissue-level microplastic quantification protocol for vertebrates, and shows that seabirds near landfills and agricultural areas carry the heaviest plastic burdens — suggesting land-based waste management directly controls wildlife microplastic exposure.
Characterization of plastic ingestion in urban gull chicks and its implications for their use as pollution sentinels in coastal cities
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Researchers examined the stomach contents of 56 yellow-legged gull chicks in Barcelona and found microplastics in 100% of the birds, with larger plastic pieces in about 20%. The chicks ingested plastics from their urban coastal environment, mostly fragments and fibers from common consumer plastics. This study shows how urban wildlife can serve as indicators of plastic pollution levels and highlights the widespread contamination of coastal food webs that humans also depend on.
Changes in plastic ingestion by yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) over the breeding season
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Scientists studying seagulls in France found that nearly 84% of the birds' regurgitated pellets contained plastic, mostly bits of plastic sheeting like bags and wrappers. Interestingly, gulls seemed to eat slightly less plastic-contaminated food right when their chicks hatched, suggesting they instinctively try to feed their young safer meals. This matters for us too: it shows just how deeply plastic pollution has infiltrated wildlife food chains, the same food chains that eventually connect back to the fish and seafood many people eat.
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